Thinking about trying Linux..

Discussion in 'Software' started by askantik, Aug 9, 2006.

  1. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Hey guys, pardon my French, but I'm a total dumbass when it comes to Linux. The only reason I haven't tried it sooner is because of the lack of game support, but I'm still going to give it a go.

    I need some help. I don't want a big mess, I want something that's decently easy to figure out, and would prefer something that's optimized for my AMD64 processor (apparently there is a version of Gentoo that does this, maybe there are others?)

    I've also read stuff about Cedega, but it seems odd that it's not free like most Linux stuff...

    What do you guys recommend going with? Say anything you want-- It'll all be new to me.
     
  2. theefool

    theefool Geekified

  3. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    I guess 64bit if that would better make use of my processor...

    Is this the one I should be downloading?

    ubuntu-6.06.1-desktop-amd64.iso
     
  4. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    I'll also need help making a separate partition and dual-booting since I don't have a separate hard drive-- unless you guys think this is a bad idea, in which case I guess I'll buy another drive.
     
  5. theefool

    theefool Geekified

    If you have the funds, then yes, I'd recommend buying another hdd. :)
     
  6. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Alright.

    I read somewhere that some versions of Linux can be run off of the CD to see if you like, in which case you can install it. Do ya know if I can do that with Ubuntu?

    Thanks for your help,
    Cody
     
  7. theefool

    theefool Geekified

  8. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Can I choose to install later with the live CD?

    For instance, run it live for a few days and if I like it, install it without downloading the regular .iso?

    Sorry for all the dumb questions :p
     
  9. ItsWendy

    ItsWendy MajorGeek

    No question is too dumb around here. I'm following this thread with interest, been meaning to learn Linux for quite a while. I've been playing around with another Linux Live system call Knoppix 5.0. The live CD disks are very handy if your main OS on the hard drive pukes. You can still access your files off a dead computer. I'll shutup, watch, and hopefully learn now.
     
  10. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    :)

    I'm burning the live version of Ubuntu to a CD right now, then gonna try it.

    I really only have two wishes: iTunes would be available in Linux (I have an iPod..) and also that I could play 3D games. But I did find on Wine's website that with just a little trouble, CS:S works pretty well.

    Sucks that Cedega isn't free. Why pay money for Cedega when you can just dual boot with Windows and play your games on there? -.-
     
  11. Mada_Milty

    Mada_Milty MajorGeek

  12. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    :( :(

    It was going along fine trying to boot live and it asked me to pick something about "Which resolutions do you want X-something (dont' remember the name of it) to run?"

    I picked 1280x1024 since it was available and that's what I'm running right now. Then it said something about it failed to initialize and it let me view some gibberish error report, but then it let me continue on. Then it goes to a black boot looking screen and it says "Checking bluetooth devices, checking hardware" etc. and it says "[ok]" by each one on the right hand side.

    It gets to "checking battery state" and it says ok next to it, and on the next line the cursor _ just blinks. It sat there for about 15 minutes before I rebooted :/

    What did I do wrong?
     
  13. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    Did you check the cd for errors? An error on the cd may cause some weird things to happen. The cd check option should be in the ubuntu boot menu.
     
  14. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Tried it again to no avail.

    I didn't see an error check option anywhere, and I looked through the options by pressing F1.

    This time I left the resolution thing at default, and it says "X-server graphic interface could not be initialized." And when it asked about the error diagnosis, it wouldn't doa nything when I tried to view it this time.

    Any suggestions??
     
  15. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    Boot your computer with the ubuntu CD in the drive. in the very first menu there is an option 'Check CD for defects'. That's the error check.
    See this these screenshots
    The very first screenshot is the boot menu, the check option is the third one listed.
     
  16. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    I don't have that option using the Live CD. The thing comes up and asks if I want to do default live or advanced options (No CD error check there) and then it goes right into asking about my keyboard/language/location. None of the options shown in that first screenshot.

    Must be different on the live version, and I don't have a separate HDD at the moment to do a regular install.
     
  17. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    When i tried the links in theefool's post i noticed they are for an older version of ubuntu (5.10), so of course the menu looks different. You probably downloaded this one. Little confusion there :)
    The current version (6.06) can be downloaded at http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ The isos for this version are live cd and install cd in one, with a very easy installer.
    I recommend downloading using bittorrent, 100% guarantee the iso won't be broken.
     
  18. ekhan

    ekhan Corporal

    linux sounds cool i think i wanna try ubuntu aswell can someone give me some of the softwares that work with ubuntu like word processors and antivirus and media players
     
  19. ekhan

    ekhan Corporal

    and also can i play dvds on ubuntu with powerdvd and burn cds using nero ???
     
  20. mgpower0

    mgpower0 Corporal

    Ubuntu comes with Open office org for your word processing needs etc. There is apps for watching DVD's available, don't think power DVD or Nero will work, Maybe with WINE they might.
     
  21. ekhan

    ekhan Corporal

    wine?
     
  22. ekhan

    ekhan Corporal

    ok nvm i got it. its a program that lets u run stuff from windows to linux pcs
    thanks mgpower0
     
  23. theefool

    theefool Geekified


    Linux is very hard to troubleshoot for new individuals, only because not very many people are truly familiar.

    I remember back in the day, that one installed unix as an os, back in the dos days, but the "windows" gui came way later. There have been leaps and bounds with the system. But, I feel there really needs to be more work with the 200+ flavours of linux.

    Knoppix is great to use as a live cd.

    Ubuntu is great for a beginner.

    My question is thus:

    What exact error code, within the gibberish did you get?
     
  24. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Basically all it said was "X server could not initiate the GUI." or something to that effect. There was no code number, I don't think.

    I downloaded the .iso for the 6.0.6 and tried that... I let it go default and I got the same error, but ever since I haven't changed the resolution (like I did the first time, when I changed to 1280x1024) the message is all skewed and goes off the screen. It still says the same error but in broken lines and scattered randomly across the screen it talks about the license for use, etc.

    It seems completely random.

    So I tried the option about starting Ubuntu in safe graphic mode (the second option in this screenshot: http://shots.osdir.com/slideshows/659/1.gif)

    So it seemed to be working perfect, it went through a long list of hardware setup and said "ok" next to each one. Then suddenly the screen goes blank and my monitor says it isn't receiving an input. For about 30 seconds the LED on my CD-ROM was active, then it slowed down and stopped. My computer was still running and I waited for a good five minutes and nothing ever happened, monitor was still blank. I reset the computer and everything worked fine-- so I don't think it was a hardware issue.

    Maybe I'm just not meant to try out Linux :(
     
  25. theefool

    theefool Geekified

    Just noticed your system specs. Try, temporarily, to restore the cpu to the original settings.

    Sometimes, not always, overclocking can cause issues.
     
  26. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    All right, working on calculus at the moment. Will try that in a few moments and let you know what happens.

    Thanks for your help guys. :)

    I really want to get this going.
     
  27. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    There exists a version of nero for linux. it is called NeroLinux and can be downloaded from the nero site. It isn't free, but if you have a registered windows version, the same serial should work. As for playing DVD's, i use xine-lib with libdvdread and libdvdcss. This works perfectly, so you don't have to pay for powerdvd. Note: libdvdcss is illegal in some countries.

    If can also recommend OpenSuSE Linux for those who want to try it, this is by far the easiest linux to install. I've tried ubuntu, and i still think OpenSuSE is better. http://en.opensuse.org/Welcome_to_openSUSE.org

    askantik: it may be a problem related to the default refresh rate of ubuntu. Boot it again, wait until the blank screen comes up and it does nothing. Then hit ctrl+alt+minus, this will decrease the screen resolution/refresh rate. If it doesn't work the first time, hit it again to further decrease the resolution. If after a lot of tries still nothing happens, we'll have to try something else.
     
  28. abri

    abri MajorGeek

    Askantik,
    This is a great thread. Lot of good information. Thanks for starting it!
    abri
     
  29. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    I will try that, and if it doesn't work I'll try SuSE :)
     
  30. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Finished downloaded the entire massive DVD .iso for SuSE. Gonna try it tonight.

    What's the difference between KDE and GNOME, AKA which one do you recommend?

    Thanks for all the replies :D
     
  31. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    They are both Desktop environments. Most people, including me, use KDE, but it's really a matter of personal opinion. Some people recommend KDE and others recommend Gnome. I'm the kind that recommends KDE :)
     
  32. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Is KDE the default when I install SuSE?

    By the way, why is it so much bigger than Ubuntu? Ubuntu could fit on a CD, but SuSE was either 5 CDs are 1 DVD (3.6 GB, and I downloaded it :p)
     
  33. mgpower0

    mgpower0 Corporal

    Gnome for me, although I do like KDE, but i've just started playing around with XGL & compiz and haven't got around setting it up on KDE yet.
     
  34. prometheos

    prometheos Staff Sergeant

    The UBUNTU Live CD was optimized to fit a single 700 MB ( 80 minute CD). They chose to include, only the most stable programs and deleted all the duplicate offerings. You'll never miss the bloat. I've been running Linux since Red Hat 7 came out and you end up running a favourite set of programs. Just like M$ Windows, you can have tons of programs but only use a few. And UBUNTU has pre-chosen the best of those, for you.
     
  35. BoredOutOfMyMind

    BoredOutOfMyMind Picabo, ICU

    You can still enable and install any of 17000 free apps.

    CD Burning. Easy in KDE.

    I made the switch last spring to convert a new drive to Kubuntu on a P3-933. I have 512 MB RAM and never have any regrets. I never cleaned out the 20 MB Win drive and can view any files there. I still access all my other music.

    It simply works.

    No learning code like RedHat. And the forums do not charge you like Mandrake.

    :)
     
  36. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    The SuSE DVD is larger because you can choose between Gnome or KDE and because there are a lot of apps on the DVD. Ubuntu comes with Gnome, if you want KDE, you have to download Kubuntu. I agree if you say you can download those programs later, but i like the DVD to get my initial system up and running.
    I like SuSE with KDE the best, but like i said before, it's really just a matter of opinion and personal requirements.
    For those of you who can't chose, there's this Linux Distribution Chooser
     
  37. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Posting this from SuSE with Firefox and GNOME right now :D

    How do I switch to KDE? I checked to install both so I could try 'em, and I booted with GNOME.

    Installation was pretty intuitive-- although I created a partition and shrank my Windows partition because I don't have a second hard drive. I may end up regretting that since now when I the SuSE screen comes up and I choose Windows instead of SuSE, it loads GRUB but then the screen sits there and says "chainloader (harddrive, 0 1)" or something like that.

    I think maybe if I can restore the MBR or something to that effect it should work, so I'm not too worried, plus the fact that this OS is so cool makes it a little better.

    Even if I lose Windows, it is still worth the effort. I'll definitely be buying a second HDD in the future and installing this again.

    Thanks for all of the help guys :)
     
  38. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    By the way-- you don't have to scold me. I know it was pretty stupid to install Linux on the same HDD. I just couldn't wait, lol :p.

    The exact message I got when I selected Windows from the boot list (the boot list had a blue SUSE background and looked all Linux-y) was "chainloader (hd0,0)+1"

    I went into YaST and did "Restore MBR" or something to that effect and this time I rebooted and it said "Disk error, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot."

    And I said "oh shit."

    But I inserted the SUSE DVD and did some type of repair thing, and I can get into SUSE now, but I still get the same error from trying to get into Windows. I also tried making an MS-DOS boot disk on another XP machine (Home, though, and mine's Pro, so maybe that's the problem) but when I tried to boot to that floppy it gave me "Disk I/O error."

    If I have to, I'll just back up my Windows stuff via Linux and start all over with just Windows, and then hold off on SUSE until I get another HDD.

    Until then-- what suggestions do you have for an anxious, impatient retard who messed up Windows because he just couldn't wait? :D
     
  39. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    One more thing, I downloaded openSUSE 10.1 on Friday and installed it. Later that day (yesterday), 10.2 was released. What bummer, ROFL :p
     
  40. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    Switching to KDE should go like this: log out (do not shut down) from gnome.
    You should now get a screen asking for user/pass and a drop down menu where you can select KDE. Then login. Have fun! :)

    As for the chainloader (hd0,0)+1 issue, this one of the commands Grub executes to load windows, not an error. For some reason it hangs there, don't know why.
     
  41. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Any ideas on something else to try? What is LILO?
     
  42. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    I'm running KDE now :) I like it better, I think.

    I am having trouble with Wine. It seems to only be command-line driven. Is this true? I installed it and typed in the command in the "Konsole" it said

    cody@linux-v6wu:~> wine program.exe
    wine: could not load L"c:\\windows\\system32\\program.exe": Module not found


    When I type it in the thing under K Menu that says "Run Command..." it doesn't do anything. But I ran the installer and it said it installed fine.

    I feel stupid :(
     
  43. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Awesome... (sarcasm)

    I changed the format of the clock and was going to reboot so the changes would take effect, and then all of a sudden I get "Disk Error, press CTRL+ALT+DEL" again. I can boot with the SUSE DVD, but I'm scared to try anything else anymore without direct instructions from you guys.

    This bites. As soon as I get back into my PC, I'm going to back up all of my data and just remove Linux until I get another HDD.
     
  44. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    Weird...
    Disk errors in grub usually occur when the filesystem gets corrupted. To check your filesystem, you have to find out which partition contains linux. It should be like /dev/hdaX where a is your HD (since you have only one) and X the partition number. There's a good chance X will be 6 since you have windows installed too.
    If you can get to your linux installation, you can look it up by typing 'df -ah' without quotes in the console. The one with mountpoint '/' is your linux install.
    Now to check the filesystem run the command 'reiserfsck /dev/hdaX' without quotes and with X the partition number.
    This worked the last time i had a disk error, but i can't guarantee anything.

    The wine problem:
    Try specifying the full path of program.exe, else wine will go looking in its windows directory (it doesn't use the windows install present on the system).
    The 'run command' in kmenu does not open a console window, that's why you don't see anything. Wine still runs and outputs it's error message, but you don't see it since wine has no console to display it in. That's why you always have to run programs from the console if they act weird, you get a lot more info that way. This makes it easier to pinpoint the error.

    btw, you're not stupid :)
     
  45. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Thanks for your help... But where do I type in those commands? Boot with the Linux disc and do it from there?

    And yeah, 6 is SUSE and 1 is Windows. At this point I'd rather just loose SUSE and keep Windows if that is the only option...

    But yeah, I jsut want to make sure that I enter the commands by booting to the SUSE DVD before I do anything else, lol.
     
  46. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    When I boot with SUSE DVD in the drive I get some "Install...." options, Boot from hard disk (results in same disk error), and the memory test, but also the "Rescue system."

    Should I do the rescue system option?
     
  47. erikske

    erikske Sergeant

    Yes, boot the rescue system and run the reiserfsck from there.
     
  48. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    Okay, from this point how can I safely uninstall SUSE and leave Windows XP intact?

    That should be the last question. Thanks for your all your help erikske :)
     
  49. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    It didn't work for me. I had to login with root, ran reiserfsck --fix-fixable /dev/hda6 and it did it's thing... That's supposed to "fix corruptions which can be fixed without --rebuild-tree" and it did it's thing and said it fixed a couple of errors. So I rebooted when it was done and it still gives me "Disk error, press CTRL+ALT+DEL to reboot."

    Should I do --rebuild-tree?
     
  50. askantik

    askantik Sergeant

    If I can't get the Linux installation fixed, can I delete the installation from the console and then maybe run the XP repair install from XP CD?
     

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